Miami-Dade Schools "Working" toEnhance Employment Opportunities

Miami Dade County Public Schools JRE Lee Baking Program fills a gapbetween community and education with hope. The current FloridaDepartment of Education culinary curriculum has been revised toinclude multi-year industry certification level skills that may not meetthe needs of some adult students, particularly students with disabilities.Many may not, in the new curriculum, be able to reach a level of skillnecessary for industry certification. Although determined eligible andapproved for training and employment services, appropriate formalemployment training options are limited.

As a result, many students are unable to continue the requiredemployment training after leaving high school. In response tocommunity needs, requests from the Division of VocationalRehabilitation (VR) and a desire to provide all students withpostsecondary educational opportunities that lead to employment,Miami-Dade County Public Schools has developed a program designedto provide post-secondary employment training for adults withdisabilities. Started as a result of a Superintendent’s initiative in Januaryof 2014, this is a vocational program that trains adults with disabilitieson how to bake pastries; but in actuality it is so much more. In about ayear, with concepts memorized and critical life skills mastered, thestudents will be ready for a workplace that values their proficiency, ANDtheir differences.

The students are taught industry standard baking skills needed to workat a bakery or in a bakery environment. This is an incredible opportunityfor all students to participate in a major activity of every adult’s life - togo to work. Many of these students struggle to read and write, but all have the ability to learn in the right setting. Also included in the programis instruction on work culture, job interviewing and how to appropriatelyinteract with co-workers and supervisors. To teach students recipes, acolor and measurement system has been developed that convertsstandard industry information into recipes that the students can master.The system is designed to start with color and end with standardmeasuring, and reading for those who can. For those who cannot, VRhas agreed to provide the tools necessary to “convert” any employer’swork environment into the color system.

The current instructor, Jose Fuentes, continues the program with chefexperience and guest experts. These experts include Sue Ward, RetailStaffing Specialist for Publix who will be teaching lessons oninterviewing skills, and Nhorah de la Pava, internationally recognizedcake designer, who will be teaching skill enhancement such as the useof fondant.

As a result of the individualized and targeted instruction the studentshave received, many of the graduates have been hired in commercialbakeries including Winn Dixie, Publix and Miami is Kind.

Provided by Jill Brookner and Robin Matusow of Miami-Dade CountyPublic Schools